dimanche 2 mars 2008

The History of Forex Trading

Many centuries ago, the value of goods were expressed in terms of other goods. This sort of economics was based on the barter system between individuals. The obvious limitations of such a system encouraged establishing more generally accepted mediums of exchange. It was important that a common base of value could be established. In some economies, items such as teeth, feathers even stones served this purpose, but soon various metals, in particular gold and silver, established themselves as an accepted means of payment as well as a reliable storage of value.

Coins were initially minted from the preferred metal and in stable political regimes, the introduction of a paper form of governmental I.O.U. during the Middle Ages also gained acceptance. This type of I.O.U. was introduced more successfully through force than through persuasion and is now the basis of today’s modern currencies.

Before the first World war, most Central banks supported their currencies with convertibility to gold. Paper money could always be exchanged for gold. However, for this type of gold exchange, there was not necessarily a Centrals bank need for full coverage of the government's currency reserves. This did not occur very often, however when a group mindset fostered this disastrous notion of converting back to gold in mass, panic resulted in so-called "Run on banks " The combination of a greater supply of paper money without the gold to cover led to devastating inflation and resulting political instability.

In order to protect local national interests, increased foreign exchange controls were introduced to prevent market forces from punishing monetary irresponsibility.

Near the end of WWII, The Bretton Woods agreement was reached on the initiative of the USA in July 1944. The conference held in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire rejected John Maynard Keynes suggestion for a new world reserve currency in favor of a system built on the US Dollar. International institutions such as the IMF, The World Bank and GATT were created in the same period as the emerging victors of WWII searched for a way to avoid the destabilizing monetary crises leading to the war. The Bretton Woods agreement resulted in a system of fixed exchange rates that reinstated The Gold Standard partly, fixing the USD at $35.00 per ounce of Gold and fixing the other main currencies to the dollar, initially intended to be on a permanent basis.

The Bretton Woods system came under increasing pressure as national economies moved in different directions during the 1960’s. A number of realignments held the system alive for a long time but eventually Bretton Woods collapsed in the early 1970’s following president Nixon's suspension of the gold convertibility in August 1971. The dollar was not any longer suited as the sole international currency at a time when it was under severe pressure from increasing US budget and trade deficits.

The last few decades have seen foreign exchange trading develop into the worlds largest global market. Restrictions on capital flows have been removed in most countries, leaving the market forces free to adjust foreign exchange rates according to their perceived values.

In Europe, the idea of fixed exchange rates had by no means died. The European Economic Community introduced a new system of fixed exchange rates in 1979, the European Monetary System. This attempt to fix exchange rates met with near extinction in 1992-93, when built-up economic pressures forced devaluations of a number of weak European currencies. The quest continued in Europe for currency stability with the 1991 signing of The Maastricht treaty. This was to not only fix exchange rates but also actually replace many of them with the Euro in 2002.

Today, Europe has embraced the Euro in 12 participating countries. The physical introduction of the Euro on January 1, 2002 saw the old countries currencies made obsolete on July 1, 2002.

In Asia, the lack of sustainability of fixed foreign exchange rates has gained new relevance with the events in South East Asia in the latter part of 1997, where currency after currency was devalued against the US dollar, leaving other fixed exchange rates in particular in South America also looking very vulnerable.

While commercial companies have had to face a much more volatile currency environment in recent years, investors and financial institutions have discovered a new playground. The size of the FOREX market now dwarfs any other investment market.

It is estimated that more than USD 1,200 Billion are traded every day, that is the same amount as almost 40 times the daily USD volume on the American NASDAQ market.

http://www.universityforex.com

How To Get Started In Forex Trading

The foreign exchange market (FOREX) offers many advantages to investors. But you need to know where to begin. This short guide will give you the FOREX basics, so you can quickly start participating in this fast growing market.

In the past, foreign exchange trading was limited to large players such as national banks and multi-national corporations. In the 1980’s the rules were changed to allow smaller investors to participate using margin accounts. Margin accounts are the reason why FOREX trading has become so popular. With a 100:1 margin account, you can control $100,000 with a $1,000 investment.

A Learning Curve

FOREX is not simple, though, so you’ll need some knowledge to make wise investment decisions. Although it is relatively easy to start trading on the FOREX, there are risks involved. Your first move as a beginner should be to find out as much as possible about the forex market before risking a dime.

Find A Forex Broker

FOREX traders usually require a broker to handle transactions. Most brokers are reputable and are associated with large financial institutions such as banks. A reputable broker will be registered as a Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as protection against fraud and abusive trade practices.

Open an Account with a forex borker

Opening a FOREX account is as simple as filling out a form and providing the necessary identification. The form includes a margin agreement which states that the broker may interfere with any trade deemed to be too risky. This is to protect the interests of the broker, since most trades are done using the broker’s money.
Once your account has been established, you can fund it and begin trading.

Many brokers offer a variety of accounts to suit the needs of individual investors. Mini accounts allow you to get involved in FOREX trading for as little as $250. Standard accounts may have a minimum deposit of $1000 to $2500, depending on the broker. The amount of leverage (how much borrowed money you can use) varies with account type. High leverage accounts give you more money to trade for a given investment.

Trades are commission-free, meaning that you can make many trades in one day without worrying about incurring high brokerage fees. Brokers make their money on the ’spread’: the difference between bid and ask prices.

Paper Trading Forex Market

Beginning traders are strongly advised get accustomed to FOREX by doing "paper trades" for a period of time. Paper trades are practice transactions that don’t involve real capital. They allow you to see how the system works while learning how to use the various software tools provided by most FOREX brokers.

Most online brokers have demo accounts that allow you to make free paper trades for up to 30 days. Every new FOREX investor should use these demo accounts at least until they are consistently showing profits.

FOREX Software

Each forex broker has its own set of software tools for making transactions, but there are a few tools that are common to all FOREX brokers. Real-time quotes, news feeds, technical analyses and charts, and profit-and-loss analyses are some of the features you can expect to see on most online brokers’ web sites.

Almost every broker operates on the Internet. To access a broker’s online services you’ll need a reasonably modern computer, a fast Internet connection, and an up-to-date operating system. Once your account is set up, you can access it from any computer just by entering your account name and password. If for some reason you are unable get to a computer, most brokers will allow you to make trades over the phone.

There are lots of ways to make money. FOREX trading is just one more potential stream of income — if you are prepared to learn and practice.

Forex Technical Analysis

The difference between forex technical and forex fundamental analysis is that forex technical analysis ignores fundamental factors and is applied only to the price action of the market. Forex technical analysis primarily consists of a variety of forex technical studies, each of which can be interpreted to predict market direction or to generate buy and sell signals. The technical analysis works by correlating the results and moves of current markets to create a short-term outlook for currencies. The rolling data that is produced throughout the trading day creates the interest in the markets and informs traders of the strong markets to back.

The Trend is Your Friend

Forex technical analysis is largely based around forex market movement trends, thus creating the widely used phrase ’the trend is your friend’ amongst traders. Buying and selling at the right time is the key in maintaining good levels of profits, following a trend is also about knowing where to entry a trade and more importantly where to exit.

Support and Resistance

Support and resistance is the basic of forex technical analysis. Support and resistance levels are points where a chart experiences recurring upward or downward pressure. A support level is usually the low point in any chart pattern (hourly, weekly or annually), whereas a resistance level is the high or the peak point of the pattern. Buying and selling at the support and resistance points makes a greater profit margin as long as they remain unbroken.

History Tends To Repeat Itself

Another important idea in technical analysis is that history tends to repeat itself, mainly in terms of price movement. The repetitive nature of price movements is attributed to market psychology; in other words, market participants tend to provide a consistent reaction to similar market stimuli over time. Forex technical analysis uses chart patterns to analyze forex market movements and understand trends. Although many of these charts have been used for more than 30 years, they are still believed to be relevant because they illustrate patterns in price movements that often repeat themselves.

Forex Trading Systems

You should build your own trading system

A trading system on the Forex market is a type of strategy that allows traders to trade with a set of rules. There are many free trading systems and strategies printed in trading articles, journals, books and on trading-related websites. I would have to say that if you are not inclined to learn how to develop your own trading methodology, then perhaps you should consider giving your money for someone else to invest. Give it to someone who is trading a system that he developed and tested himself because he is more likely to have the confidence and courage to follow his own trading system.

Why you need a forex trading system?

1. It’s easy to trade with a system.
2. A good system provides consistent result.

What makes a good trading system?

• It’s simple. Forget complicated systems with lots of rules - it’s a proven fact that simple systems work better - and are less likely to fail, in the brutal world of trading.
• A trading system with profitable expectation.
• It provides good ratio of reward/risk.
• A system of comprehensive risk management including market exposure weightings, stop-loss provisions and capital commitment guidelines that preserve capital during trend-less or volatile periods.

Once you learn how to develop trading systems and strategies, you can then be better equipped to test them as well. By this point you might even find that the system created by yourself is the best one for you, because it becomes the system more suited to your profit objectives while operating within your risk tolerance levels. It is likely that once you develops this level of competence, you will simply acquire other trading systems only to dissect them, grab the parts you likes and add them to your own system. To me, the irony is that for a trader to know which system to purchase, you must first learn how to create a system. And after knowing how to create a system, he will no longer have the need to buy one.

Trading with Strategy

Trading successfully is by no means a simple matter. It requires time, market knowledge and market understanding and a large amount of self restraint. ACM does not manage accounts, nor does it give market advice, that is the job of money managers and introducing brokers. As market professionals, we can however point the novice in the right direction and indicate what are correct trading tactics and considerations and what is total nonsense.

Anyone who says you can consistently make money in foreign exchange markets is being untruthful. Foreign exchange by nature, is a volatile market. The practice of trading it by way of margin increases that volatility exponentially. We are therefore talking about a very ’fast market’ which is naturally inconsistent. Following that precept, it is logical to say that in order to make a successful trade, a trader has to take into account technical and fundamental data and make an informed decision based on his perception of market sentiment and market expectation. Timing a trade correctly is probably the most important variable in trading successfully but invariably there will be times where a traders’ timing will be off. Don’t expect to generate returns on every trade.

Let’s enumerate what a trader needs to do in order to put the best chances for profitable trades on his side:

Trade with money you can afford to lose:
Trading fx markets is speculative and can result in loss, it is also exciting, exhilarating and can be addictive. The more you are ’involved with your money’ the harder it is to make a clear-headed decision. Money you have earned is precious, but money you need to survive should never be traded.

Identify the state of the market:
What is the market doing? Is it trending upwards, downwards, is it in a trading range. Is the trend strong or weak, did it begin long ago or does it look like a new trend that’s forming. Getting a clear picture of the market situation is laying the groundwork for a successful trade.

Determine what time frame you’re trading on:
Many traders get in the market without thinking when they would like to get out, after all the goal is to make money. This is true but when trading, one must extrapolate in his mind’s eye the movement that one expects to happen. Within this extrapolation, resides a price evolution during a certain period of time. Attached to this is the idea of exit price. The importance of this is to mentally put your trade in perspective and although it is clearly impossible to know exactly when you will exit the market, it is important to define from the outset if you’ll be ’scalping’ (trying to get a few points off the market) trading intra-day, or going longer term. This will also determine what chart period you’re looking at. If you trade many times a day, there’s no point basing your technical analysis on a daily graph, you’ll probably want to analyse 30 minute or hour graphs. Additionally it is important to know the different time periods when various financial centers enter and exit the market as this creates more or less volatility and liquidity and can influence market movements.

Time your trade:
You can be right about a potential market movement but be too early or too late when you enter the trade. Timing considerations are twofold, an expected market figure like CPI, retail sales or a federal reserve decision can consolidate a movement that’s already underway. Timing your move means knowing what’s expected and taking into account all considerations before trading. Technical analysis can help you identify when and at what price a move may occur. We will look at technical analysis in more detail later.

If in doubt, stay out:
If you’re unsure about a trade and find you’re hesitating, stay on the sidelines.

Trade logical transaction sizes:
Margin trading allows the fx trader a very large amount of leverage, trading at full margin capacity (in ACM’s case 1% or 0.5%) can make for some very large profits or losses on an account. Scaling your trades so that you may re-enter the market or make transactions on other currencies is generally wiser. In short, don’t trade amounts that can potentially wipe you out and don’t put all your eggs in one basket. ACM offers the same rates regardless of transaction sizes so a customer has nothing to lose by starting small.

Gauge market sentiment:
Market sentiment is what most of the market is perceived to be feeling about the market and therefore what it is doing or will do. This is basically about trend. You may have heard the term ’the trend is your friend’, this basically means that if you’re in the right direction with a strong trend you will make successful trades. This of course is very simplistic, a trend is capable of reversal at any time. Technical and fundamental data can indicate however if the trend has begun long ago and if it is strong or weak.

Market expectation:
Market expectation relates to what most people are expecting as far as upcoming news is concerned. If people are expecting an interest rate to rise and it does, then there usually will not be much of a movement because the information will already have been ’discounted’ by the market, alternatively if the adverse happens, markets will usually react violently.

Use what other traders use:
In a perfect world, every trader would be looking at a 14 day RSI and making trading decisions based on that. If that was the case, when RSI would go under the 30 level, everyone would buy and by consequence the price would rise. Needless to say, the world is not perfect and not all market participants follow the same technical indicators, draw the same trendlines and identify the same support & resistance levels. The great diversity of opinions and techniques used translates directly into price diversity. Traders however have a tendency to use a limited variety of technical tools. The most common are 9 and 14 day RSI, obvious trendlines and support levels, fibonnacci retracement, MACD and 9, 20 & 40 day exponential moving averages. The closer you get to what most traders are looking at, the more precise your estimations will be. The reason for this is simple arithmetic, larger numbers of buyers than sellers at a certain price will move the market up from that price and vice-versa.

Successful Forex Trading

Forex trading is fast becoming one of the easiest ways to earn large amounts of money on your investment. Then again, it can also be the easiest way to lose all of your money in a short period of time. That is, if you do not know what you are doing. The fact is that even seasoned traders make mistakes and only through the understanding of basic principles and the application of sound strategies can you be assured of earning money in the long run.

One of the most basic things that you have to understand about Forex trading is that there will always be losing streaks along with the winning ones. Having this fact in mind will keep you going during those times that you do not get a good deal. The best way to handle Forex trading is to have a reliable trading system coupled with a rigid money management system.

There are many different strategies employed in Forex trading today. What you should do is either adopt one of them or come up with your own. No matter which path you choose to take, the important thing is that your trading system has been proven or can be proven to be reliable. How would you know that your trading system is reliable?

It is quite simple, really. A reliable trading system is one which gives you more winning trades than losing ones. More than this, your winning trades should be – in general – of greater value than your losing trades. You do not need to be a rocket scientist to figure this one out. More wins with greater value equals profits. No matter how you come up with your trading system, the bottom line is that you get consistent results.

Once you have come up with your trading strategy, try it out first. You can do this by using a demo account before trading live. Using a demo account is advantageous as you will be doing exactly the same thing as live trading – without real money. This way, you can test your strategy and pick out the flaws f there are any.

If, after you have tested your strategy, you are confident that you are getting consistent results, you could go live. Your strategy should not stop there, though. Once you engage in live trading, you must take care to instill strict discipline when it comes to money management. Do not deviate from your strategy once it is put in place. This is perhaps the foremost reason for traders to suddenly lose everything. Always remember that you cannot win all the time and that losses are part of trading. If you have a strategy in place, do not scramble to recoup your losses outside the boundaries of your strategy. The trend is that winning will come soon after your losses.

One rule you should stick to is never trading with more than 2% of your account at risk on a single trade. Whether you win or lose, this percentage is going to get you the long term results that you are aiming for.

Is Forex Trading for Everyone?

Successfully trading the Forex market requires you to have the discipline to follow some rules. If you can "stay the course" and follow your system, regardless of what the market is doing, you can make money trading Forex.

As with most forms of financial investing - stocks, futures, etc., there are risks. There are no crystal balls to show you what is going to happen next, so your exposure to these risks is largely controlled by your money management practices.

Casinos operate, normally with extensive profits, based entirely on risk management. They have learned how to take advantage of probability, which is the same concept traders rely upon, and turn the tables in their favor. They have learned that the longer they can keep a gambler in their facility, the better the odds they will end up with the gambler's money.

Many new or inexperienced Forex traders fall victim to the hype surrounding foreign exchange trading. The electronic trading platforms used by retail Forex traders today, with their ability to display hundreds of "indicators" and present price data instantly, confuse many traders and actually lure them into making poor trading decisions.

Like futures, Forex trading offers high leverage. The readily available leverage of up to 400:1 has destroyed many potential trading careers. New traders, unaccustomed to the volatile nature of Forex, often fall into the trap of over-leveraged positions, which easily wipe out trading accounts.

Forex generally has some of the most predictable trends of all the markets over the longer term. However, many traders lose sight of the long term picture and try to trade based upon shorter term price charts. They believe shorter trends offer easy opportunities for profit, when in truth, most seasoned traders won't even look at charts of less than 1 hour.

The volatility of Forex means that a tight stop-loss order will usually result in being stopped-out of many trades. Too many trades ending in this fashion result in your trading account being slowly eroded away. Traders need to keep their "real leverage" (amount of currency controlled divided by their actual account size) at 3:1 or less. This will allow you to relax your stop-loss settings and enjoy more successful trades.

In the currency market, you don't have to worry (normally) about countries going broke. Typically the prices move in large waves, and if you had deep enough pockets, you could wait for the price to recover to profitable levels. The reality is this process could take years, so money management is again key.

Another benefit of this huge market is it's liquid nature. It's trading volume of approximately 2 trillion dollars per day ensure there can be no insider activities. Even the largest of central banks lack sufficient funds to seriously sway the market. Market moving data is released for all to see at the same time. No one has advance information of pending releases.

In conclusion, trading the Forex currency market is no more difficult than the stocks or futures markets and in fact has several advantages. To trade profitably in the currency market, you need to stick to leverage of no more than 3% to 5% and think "longer term". The lower leverage will allow you to ride the fluctuations which are common to Forex, while enjoying the benefits of long term trending.

Forex Low Cost Options Available

This interesting article addresses some of the key issues regarding forex. A careful reading of this material could make a big difference in how you think about the forex market.

There are discount commission brokerages, charting resources, free news, and free analysis packages concerning Forex. This has become a downright scary situation in which securities regulators are in over their head. Many brokers have different types of accounts to suit the needs of individual investors. Ultimately a measure of market psychology is needed to achieve success.

By using several non-correlated systems. By using numerous automated strategies. You don't need much to get started with forex trading. Make sure that you accomplish your financial goals.

This has become a "trader's market" but only for the adroit. There are dealers who will quote currencies. Many brokers have found that their investors can benefit from following live trading accounts. It is true that they will tell you that a 1 or two pip spread exists on a specific currency pair. However some traders do forex-trading strategies that trade short term on the reactions to different news releases.

Be sure you are in touch with reality as far as your expectations and goals and other practical considerations. This trading method is so effective that your broker will think you can see the future. The majority of traders lose because they cannot control their emotions. Even though this market trades twenty four hours there are better times to trade.

Think about what you have read so far. Does it reinforce what you already know about forex? Or was there something completely new? What about the remaining paragraphs?

This means that by increasing your risk you can also maximize the dollar value of the position you open. Typically the minimum fees of an option trade range anywhere from fifteen dollars to $30 depending on your broker. This has become a strong correlation between a country's equity markets and its currency. Another advantage of the brokers market is that brokers might provide a larger selection of banks.

These rules have been researched and back tested and are then applied to a given market. Make sure that you are comfortable with the risks associated with your forex broker. Another advantage of dealing with a registered fcm is greater transparency of business practices. Additionally the system must be reliable and secure as digital signage can become a key point of contact with the customer. This trading method uses simple trader tools and does not require any costly traders software.

You don't know what point of the investing trend you are entering in. Ultimately a good trader fine tunes their trading system and see how the market reacts. The majority of traders make their decisions to buy or sell on impulse driven by emotions or opinion of others. Make sure you're ready to invest. Never lose more than your margin deposit, which is generally about 1%. There are many of forex systems sell online.

Knowing enough about forex trading to make solid, informed choices cuts down on the fear factor. If you apply what you've just learned about forex, you should have nothing to worry about and will make a lot of money.

samedi 23 février 2008

Best Forex Trading Education

There are many forex trading courses and educational material that a person can find online. However how does someone go about finding the best Forex trading education information? Certainly there are huge amounts of information that will educate you about Forex trading, but not all of it will help you to achieve your goals of making a profit rather than losing. Below are some guidelines which should help you to find the best forex trading education course Point 1 - Avoid Day Trading Systems Many people when starting out in Forex trading will be enticed into thinking that the best way of making money is through day trading. Certainly if you were to ask a person who is selling a Forex trading course for details relating to their real time track record with regard to profits relating to day trading they will not be able to provide one to you. So if you are looking to produce an income from your trading then do not waste your time on day trading. Point 2 - Real Time Profit Records When buying any sort of forex education course, you need to be provided with these records. If a person selling their system does not have confidence in the abilities of their system and are not investing their own monies then why should you. Unfortunately some of these courses being offered online today are from people who have either never traded in their lives or have failed when they have used the system themselves. Point 3 - Understand It Once you find a forex trading system which either has a track record or is willing to show their real profits then there are some other things which you will need to take into consideration. It is important that you learn everything you can about the system in question so that you understand it completely. Unfortunately if you have no understanding of how the system works then you will not have the confidence to trust in it and follow the system through to a likely conclusion if you start to suffer losses. By keeping these points in mind, you will find the best Forex trading education that is suited to your kind of personality. There are literally hundreds of places on the web that can offer you an education as well as free advice on Forex trading so do some investigating and you will soon find one that is ideal for you.

mercredi 13 février 2008

10 Tips for your Success in Forex Trading

1. Implement a forex trading plan.
“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. A trading plan is especially crucial in forex trading to stay ‘in-control’ against the emotional stress in speculative situation. Often, your emotions will blind and lead you to the negative sides: greed causes you to over-ride on a win while fear causes you to cut short in your profits. Hence, a well organized operation has to be predetermined and strictly followed.

2. Trade within your means
If you cannot afford to lose, you cannot afford to win. Losing is a not a must but it is the natural in any trading market. Trading should be always done using excess money in your savings. Before you, stard to traning in forex we suggest you to put aside some of your income to set up your own investment funds and trade only using that funds.

3. Avoid emotion trading
If you do not have a forex trading plan, make one. If you have a trading plan, follow it strictly! Never ever attempt to hold your weakened position and hope the market will turn back in your favor direction. You might end up losing all your capital if you keep holding. Move on, stay within your trading plan, and admit your mistakes if things do not turn as you want.

4. Ride on a win and cut your losses
Forex trader should always ride till the market turns around whenever a profit is show; while during losing, never hesitate to admit your mistakes and exit the market. It is human nature to stay long on loses and satisfy with small profits – this is why as we mentioned earlier that a strictly followed trading plan is a must-have.

5. Love the trends
Trends are your friends. Although currency values fluctuate but from the big picture it normally goes in a steady direction. If you are not sure on certain moves, the long term trend is always your primary reference. In long run, trading with the trends improves your odds in the forex market

6. Stop looking for leading indicators
There aren't any in the Forex market. While some firms make a lot of money selling software that predicts the future, the reality is that if those products really worked, they wouldn't be giving the secret away.
7. Avoid trading in a thin market

Trade on popular concurency pairs and avoid thin market. The lack of public participation will cause difficulties in liquidating your positions. If you are beginners, we suggest the big five: USD/EUR, USD/JPY, USD/GBD, USD/CHF, and EUR/JPY.

8. Avoid trading in too many markets
Do not confuse yourself by overtrading in too many markets especially if you are a beginner. Go for the major currency paris and drill down your studies in it.

9. Implement a proper trading system
There are hundreds of forex trading system available on line. Pick one that you are most comfortable with and stick with it. Stay organized in your trades and fully utilized stop-loss or limit functions in your trades.

10. Keep learning
The best investment is always the investment on your brain. Without a doubt, Forex trading needs much more than just a few guidelines or tips to be successful. Experience, knowledge, capital, fortitude, and even some help of luck are all crucial in one’s success in the FX market. if you lose in a trade, do not lose the experience in it. Learn from your mistakes and regain your position in the next trade.

What is FOREX?

FOREX (FOReign EXchange market) is an international foreign exchange market, where money is sold and bought freely. It began back in the 1970’s with the introduction of free exchange rates and floating currencies. Thanks to the internet more and more people are able to reap the profits of the currency market with global Forex trading.
This is a market that trades as over US$1 trillion a day. (It is impossible to determine an absolutely exact number because trading is not centralized on an exchange.) It trades more than any other market. There are some distinct differences in the currency market compared to the stock market. Money moves much faster so no single investor has the ability to actually affect market price and trades are able to open and close within seconds which is not possible on the stock market.



From New Zealand, to Australia, to Asia, the Middle East, Europe and America, Forex Markets are open twenty-four hours a day. All the major markets, including London, New York, and Tokyo are part of it. Of course the United Kingdom and the United States account for over fifty percent of the turnover. When the time of day comes for all the major markets to overlap, trading can get pretty heavy.Besides the major markets there are also five main currencies that are a part of Foreign exchange Markets. These currencies include the United States Dollar (USD), the Euro (EUR), Japanese yen (JPY), British Pound (GBP) and the Swiss Franc (CHF). Each of these is traded in what are called pairs. In this particular market they are also called crosses, in what is known in the Forex Markets as the 'spot' market. A lot of this market is determined by supply and demand of certain major currencies and how they affect the current world market and its situations.


The superior liquidity allows the traders to open and/or close positions within a few seconds. The time of keeping a position is arbitrary and has no limits: from several seconds to many years. It depends only on your trading strategies. Although the daily fluctuations of currencies are rather insignificant, you may use the credit lines, that are accessible even to currency speculators with small capitals ($ 1,000 - 5,000), where the profit may be impressive.

WHAT IS MARGINAL TRADING?

Margin trading is trading with a borrowed capital. The idea of marginal trading stems from the fact that in FOREX speculative interests can be satisfied without a real money supply. This decreases overhead expenses for transferring money and gives an opportunity to open positions with a small account in US dollars, buying and selling a lot of other currencies. That is, on can conduct transactions very quickly, getting a big profit, when the exchange rates go up or down. Many speculative transactions in the international financial markets are made on the principles of marginal trading.

Marginal trading in an exchange market uses lots. 1 lot equals approximately $100,000, but to open it, it is enough to have only from 0.5% to 4% of the sum.


For example, you have analyzed the situation in the market and come to the conclusion that the pound will go up against the dollar. You open 1 lot for buying the pound (GBP) with the margin 1% (1:1000 leverage) at the price of 1.49889 and wait for the exchange rate to go up. Some time later your expectations become true. You close the position at 1.5050 and earn 61 pips (about $ 405).


Everyday fluctuations of currencies constitute about 100 to 150 pips, giving FX traders an opportunity to make money on these changes.
In FOREX, it's not obligatory to buy some currency first in order to sell it later. It's possible to open positions for buying and selling any currency without actually having it. Usually Internet-brokers establish the minimum deposit such as $ 2000, for working in the FOREX market, and grant a leverage of 1:100. That is, opening the position at $100,000, a trader invests $1,000 and receives $99.000 as a credit.

mardi 12 février 2008

An Insider's Guide to the Real World of Foreign Exchange Trading


Foreign currency exchange—"Forex"—is today's #1 new investment opportunity. Revolutions in technology, regulation, and globalization have made Forex trading accessible to every active investor. Only one thing has been missing: An objective, clear "user's guide" to Forex trading. Now it's here—and it's in your hands.


Simply and clearly, Forex Revolution reveals everything you need to know to trade Forex hands-on—from fundamental and technical trading strategies to the unyielding discipline that's essential to success.

In this book, Peter Rosenstreich brings together insider techniques from all over the industry: Traders, banks, Forex firms, even the National Futures Association. You'll find expert guidance on everything from handling 24/7 markets to profiting from the emergence of China.

Unlike other books, Forex Revolution doesn't require you to subscribe to costly services or purchase expensive tools. Whether you're an individual investor or a money manager new to Forex, this book gives you all you need: Facts, techniques, resources and—above all—the insider's edge.

* Why Forex has become your #1 profit opportunity
How the currency markets became indispensable to the active investor
* Meet the players, markets, tools, portals, and platforms
Everything you should know before you get started
* Choose the right FX investments
Understand currency futures, options, swaps, and more
* Master both fundamental and technical trading strategies
and discover why you need to know both
* Gut check: What it takes to win in the Forex markets
Develop the discipline you need to succeed

Foreign Exchange Trading: Today's #1 Opportunity for Explosive Profits!

* The practical, hands-on Forex trading guide for individual investors
* No costly subscriptions or expensive tools needed
* Delivers unbiased, up-to-the-minute techniques you can start profiting from today
* Covers everything from trading rules to fundamental and technical strategies
* Realistically assesses risks and pitfalls—and shows how to avoid or mitigate them


Forex Isn't Just the World's Biggest Market—It's Your #1 Profit Opportunity!

Every day, more than $1.5 trillion in currency trades are executed. That dwarfs the daily volume of the NYSE, NASDAQ, FTSE, DAX, and Tokyo Nikkei—combined! Today's growing currency volatility has made Forex the place to earn huge profits. Think Forex is just for secretive financiers and central bankers? Not any more! The rules have changed, and this book shows you exactly how to get in on the action.

No other book offers as much unbiased, practical, how-to guidance for trading from Forex. Peter Rosenstreich doesn't just present his own techniques—he reveals never-before-published tips and techniques from traders throughout the industry. Above all, Mr. Rosenstreich tells you the whole truth: How currency markets work, how to trade, what the risks are, what to do about them...and what it really takes to win.

Rules For Trader

I am a trader of currencies and my focus here is the forex market. However, many the
principles contained herein can be applied to any commodity or equity market. Whether one is trading pounds or pork bellies, for pips or points, trading is trading.
These rules are to be followed to the letter. Ignore them at your peril.

Rules summary :

Define your long-term goals
Treat trading as a business
End every day in profit
Every trade must conform to objective criteria
Never force a trade
Always have a profit target for the day
Always stick to a small daily profit target
Your initial trading stake should be small
Do not enter a trade without a profit target
Always set a hard stop
Do not trade unless you are nearly 100% certain about what will happen
Do not trade when signals are mixed
Follow your system
Look at longer timeframes for both support and resistance, and for clues r
future price direction
Be aware of peak market times
Be careful when trading in the Asian session
Be careful when trading forex on non-news days
Avoid reversing trades
Stay out of the market near news release time
Watch your broker like a hawk
Stop trading after two consecutive losses
Take profits quicker after a losing streak
Be wary of chat rooms and online forums
Stay healthy
Don't give up

Forex Online Choose Your Broker

Today's Forex trading is well known as a lucrative way to make money online. It became an essential part for investor's portfolio as you can simply gain thousands in minutes by trading currencies at home. For those who are new to the trade, Forex means Foreign Exchange Market where it involves buying and selling the different currencies of the world. Profits are made through the difference of selling and buying price - you earn when you buy-low sell-high while lose when buy-high sell-low.


Choosing a suitable Forex broker is the very first step when you are getting started in Forex trading. As in any trading market, individual trades in Forex market are mostly done via currency brokers. There are certain issues you must consider when choosing for suitable Forex broker, listed below are a few of the important ones.

1. Certification of the Forex brokerage firm
Forex trading involves a huge sum of money. As a trader, I am sure you want your money handle by reliable broker. This is why certification of the Forex brokerage firm is important. Traders are recommended to deal only with authorized currency traders. If you are trading in United States, make sure your Forex brokerage firm is registered with Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) and regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Also, most large brokerage firms are connected in some way to a bank or financial institution. Since the majority of Forex business is based on credit, the partnership with financial institution is crucial to offers their clients better in Forex investment.

2. Low spread trading
Currencies are normally traded in pairs of ask-bid price. The difference of the selling (bid) and the buying (ask) is known as spread. For example of EUR/USD 1.2435/1.2440, the Forex quote here means you can buy 1 Euro Dollar with 1.2440 USD or sell 1 Euro 1.2435, and the spread is (1.2440 - 1.2435) = 0.0005. As Forex brokers do not charge commissions on their client trades, they are making money off the spreads. If the spreads are low, this means they are offering a cheaper service and thus traders have better profit value. Thus, Forex brokerage that offers lower spread is more preferred.

3. Trading tools and tips
Different Forex brokers will offer different trading tips and tools. When selecting Forex broker, check what kind of trading tools and analysis data they are offering. Not all brokers offer the same set of tools and data thus careful consideration is necessary. A good Forex brokerage firm should offers real-time charts, technical analysis tools, real-time trade alerts, and website support. If you are new to Forex trading, you also look for broker that offers demo account before opening up a real account.

4. Avoid brokers with strict margin rules
Strict Margin Rules - When you are trading with borrowed money, your broker has a say in how much risk you take. As such, your broker can buy or sell at its discretion, which can be a bad thing for you. Let's say you have a margin account, and your position takes a dive before rebounding to all-time highs. Even if you have enough cash to cover, some brokers will liquidate your position on a margin call at that low. This action on their part can cost you very much. Unfortunately, you cannot verify this factor before starting up your account with the broker. The best way to avoid this kind of brokers is to ask more in Forex trading forums or other experienced Forex traders.

5. Leverage level
Some brokers offer 1:50 trade margins and some offer 1:200. The fact is leverage level might varies a lot for different brokerage firm. While higher trade margin does not guarantee your profit in Forex market, higher trade margin however will give you a better chance to win big when the opportunity comes. High leverage level is especially important when you have little capital outlay.

By filtering Forex brokers with the condition listed above, you actually raise your profit chances in Forex trading. Without a doubt, Forex is gaining its popularity fast against other kind of trading. No limited market access, no liquidity issues-after market hours, zero commission fees, low capital requirements with high leverage rates, and no restrictions on short selling -- Forex can be very beneficial to a variety of people.

Like any other trading business, if you are new to it, best advice you can get is to learn and practice more before you test your 'wings'. Seminars, eBooks, Internet, papers, video courses - all these are helpful to raise your confidence level before you trade with your real hard-earn dollars. Plan your investment wisely by investing first on yourself; you shall get your reward at the end of the road

Forex Online Must Do in Begineer

It is believe that more than 50% of Forex traders are losing money long term in the foreign currency exchange market. Yet, there are still a lot of Forex traders jump in to the market, trade blindly and lost their money. Trade after trade, its surprising to see that 'normally-losing' traders keep betting (not investing!) their money into Forex market without reviewing their trading strategy. No matter you are the experienced or the beginners, there are certain 'must-do' when trading Forex to manage the risk wisely and to increase your possibilities in making profits.


'Must-Do 1': Invest in your brain first
If you are serious about investing in Forex market, building up your trading skills and knowledge is the very first step that you must take. Seminars, workshops, video tutorials, online learning, or even books are handful to help us learn from the professional.

Learn to implement technical charting into your trades; learn using indicators to determine the right time to enter/exit the market; brush up your experience by trading with a demo account… all these are effective to ensure your smooth starts and it will definitely reduce your chances of losing money.

'Must-Do 2': Getting the right trading system
It is wise to research very well and consider all the various brokers' system available to you before making your choice. By applying certain level of computer automations (such like charting and doing auto trades), trading; a well-designed trading system will reduce your work dramatically. This in turns give you more time to focus on studying the market and plotting your strategy. Also, using auto-trading system will avoid you from doing emotional-trades.

'Must-Do 3': Have a trading plan
As the old says: “Fail to plan is plan to fail”. Trading is like sailing boat middle in the sea; you will not be going anywhere without compass and navigator.

What is the detail objective of the trades? How much profit to expect from the trade? When to get into the market? How much to invest? What price to exit the market? If things do not work out, when do execute the stop loss order? How high is the affordable risk? A good trading plan should at least answers the above questions. Further more, if your trading plan fails, review and modify your trading plan. Find out your mistakes and learn from them.

'Must-Do 4': Money management
Money management is controlling your risk through the use of protective stops, while balancing your potential for profit against your potential for loss. For example, good money management means you know your profit objective and the odds of being right or wrong, and controlling your risk with protective stops. You are better off with a trade where you might lose $1000 if you are wrong and make $500 if you are right, that would work eight times out of ten, than to take a trade where you would make $1000 if you are right and lose only $500 if you are wrong, but works only one time out of three.

If you are investing using your savings, it's even more important that you manage your money in your trading and in your personal expenses. Chances are high that you miss a good investing chance because of you are lack of capital.

'Must-Do 5': Discipline trading
Trading Forex with discipline is important. Success in Forex trading could not be achieved by plotting out the best trading plan. It is also depends on implementing the trading plan. Be discipline, trade according to your plan and never trade with your emotion no matter you are losing money or winning. Greed will stop you from taking profit at predetermined level; while fear will stop you from making the nice kill in the market.

Tips Succes Forex Online Trading

1. Implement a trading plan.

“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. A trading plan is especially crucial in Forex trading to stay ‘in-control’ against the emotional stress in speculative situation. Often, your emotions will blind and lead you to the negative sides: greed causes you to over-ride on a win while fear causes you to cut short in your profits. Hence, a well organized operation has to be predetermined and strictly followed.


2. Trade within your means

If you cannot afford to lose, you cannot afford to win. Losing is a not a must but it is the natural in any trading market. Trading should be always done using excess money in your savings. Before you start to trade in Forex, we suggest you to put aside some of your income to set up your own investment funds and trade only using that funds.

3. Avoid emotion trading

If you do not have a trading plan, make one. If you have a trading plan, follows it strictly! Never ever attempt to hold your weakened position and hope the market will turn back in your favor direction. You might end up losing all your capital if you keep holding. Move on, stay within your trading plan, and admit your mistakes if things do not turn as you want.

4. Ride on a win and cut your losses

Forex trader should always ride till the market turns around whenever a profit is show; while during losing, never hesitate to admit your mistakes and exit the market. It is human nature to stay long on loses and satisfy with small profits – this is why as we mentioned earlier that a strictly followed trading plan is a must-have.

5. Love the trends

Trends are your friends. Although currency values fluctuate but from the big picture it normally goes in a steady direction. If you are not sure on certain moves, the long term trend is always your primary reference. In long run, trading with the trends improves your odds in the Forex market.

6. Stop looking for leading indicators

There aren't any in the Forex market. While some firms make a lot of money selling software that predicts the future, the reality is that if those products really worked, they wouldn't be giving the secret away.

7. Avoid trading in a thin market

Trade on popular currency pairs and avoid thin market. The lack of public participation will cause difficulties in liquidate your positions. If you are beginners, we suggest the big five: USD/EUR, USD/JPY, USD/GBD, USD/CHF, and EUR/JPY.

8. Avoid trading in too many markets

Do not confuse yourself by overtrading in too many markets especially if you are a beginner. Go for the major currency pairs and drill down your studies in it.

9. Implement a proper trading system

There is hundreds of trading systems available on line. Pick one that you are most comfortable with and stick with it. Stay organized in your trades and fully utilized stop-loss or limit functions in your trades.

10. Keep learning

The best investment is always the investment on your brain. Without a doubt, Forex trading needs much more than just a few guidelines or tips to be successful. Experience, knowledge, capital, fortitude, and even some help of luck are all crucial in one’s success in the FX market. if you lose in a trade, do not lose the experience in it. Learn from your mistakes and regain your position in the next trade.

Kinds of t'Forex

Forward Market. On the forward Forex are used two tools: forward outright deals and exchange deals or swaps. A swap deal is a combination of a spot deal and a forward outright deal.


Forward Market. On the forward Forex are used two tools: forward outright deals and exchange deals or swaps. A swap deal is a combination of a spot deal and a forward outright deal.

Futures Market. Currency futures are specific types of forward outright deals. Because
they are derived from the spot price, they are derivative instruments. (See Figure 1.2). They are specific with regard to the expiration date and the size of the trade amount. Whereas, generally, forward outright deals—those that mature past the spot delivery date—will mature on any valid date in the two countries whose currencies are being traded, standardized amounts of foreign currency futures mature only on the third Wednesday of March, June, September, and December.

Options Market. A currency option is a contract between a buyer and a seller that gives the
buyer the right, but not the obligation, to trade a specific amount of currency at a predetermined price and within a predetermined period of time, regardless of the market price of the currency; and gives the seller, or writer, the obligation to deliver the currency under the predetermined terms, if and when the buyer wants to exercise the option.

Currencies

The other major currencies traded against the U.S. dollar are the euro, Japanese yen, British pound, and Swiss franc.


The U.S. Dollar. The United States dollar is the world's main currency – an universal measure
to evaluate any other currency traded on Forex. All currencies are generally quoted in U.S. dollar terms. Under conditions of international economic and political unrest, the U.S. dollar is the main safe-haven currency, which was proven particularly well during the Southeast Asian crisis of 1997-1998. As it was indicated, the U.S. dollar became the leading currency toward the end of the Second World War along the Breton Woods Accord, as the other currencies were virtually pegged against it. The introduction of the euro in 1999 reduced the dollar's importance only marginally.

The other major currencies traded against the U.S. dollar are the euro, Japanese yen, British pound, and Swiss franc.


The Euro. The euro was designed to become the premier currency in trading by simply being
quoted in American terms. Like the U.S. dollar, the euro has a strong international presence
stemming from members of the European Monetary Union. The currency remains plagued by unequal growth, high unemployment, and government resistance to structural changes. The pair was also weighed in 1999 and 2000 by outflows from foreign investors, particularly Japanese, who were forced to liquidate their losing investments in euro-denominated assets. Moreover, European money managers rebalanced their portfolios and reduced their euro exposure as their needs for hedging currency risk in Europe declined.
The Japanese Yen. The Japanese yen is the third most traded currency in the world; it has a
much smaller international presence than the U.S. dollar or the euro. The yen is very liquid around the world, practically around the clock. The natural demand to trade the yen concentrated mostly among the Japanese keiretsu, the economic and financial conglomerates. The yen is much more sensitive to the fortunes of the Nikkei index, the Japanese stock market, and the real estate market.

The British Pound. Until the end of World War II, the pound was the currency of reference.
The currency is heavily traded against the euro and the U.S. dollar, but has a spotty presence against other currencies. Prior to the introduction of the euro, both the pound benefited from any doubts about the currency convergence. After the introduction of the euro, Bank of England is attempting to bring the high U.K. rates closer to the lower rates in the euro zone. The pound could join the euro in the early 2000s, provided that the U.K. referendum is positive.

The Swiss Franc. The Swiss franc is the only currency of a major European country that
belongs neither to the European Monetary Union nor to the G-7 countries. Although the Swiss economy is relatively small, the Swiss franc is one of the four major currencies, closely resembling the strength and quality of the Swiss economy and finance. Switzerland has a very close economic relationship with Germany, and thus to the euro zone. Therefore, in terms of political uncertainty in the East, the Swiss franc is favored generally over the euro. Typically, it is believed that the Swiss franc is a stable currency. Actually, from a foreign
exchange point of view, the Swiss franc closely resembles the patterns of the euro, but lacks its liquidity. As the demand for it exceeds supply, the Swiss franc can be more volatile than the euro.

Forex Begin

Forex – What is it? The international currency market Forex is a special kind of the world financial market. Trader’s purpose on the Forex to get profit as the result of foreign currencies purchase and sale. The exchange rates of all currencies being in the market turnover are permanently changing under the action of the demand and supply alteration. The latter is a strong subject to the influence of any important for the human society event in the sphere of economy, politics and nature. Consequently current prices of foreign currencies evaluated for instance in the US dollars fluctuate towards its higher and lower meanings. Using these fluctuations in accordance with a known principle “buy cheaper – sell higher” traders obtain gains. Forex is different in compare to all other sectors of the world financial system thanks to his heightened sensibility to a large and continuously changing number of factors, accessibility to all individual and corporative traders, exclusively high trade turnover which creates an ensured liquidity of traded currencies and the round - the clock business hours which enable traders to deal after normal hours or during national holidays in their country finding markets abroad open. Just as on any other market the trading on Forex, along with an exclusively high potential profitability, is essentially risk - bearing one. It is possible to gain a success on it only after a certain training including a familiarization with the structure and kinds of Forex, the principles of currencies price formation, the factors affecting prices alterations and trading risks levels, sources of the information necessary to account all those factors, techniques of the analysis and prediction of the market movements as well as with the trading tools and rules. An important role in the process of the preparation for the trading on Forex belongs to the demo-trading (that is to trade using a demo-account with some virtual money), which allows to testify all the theoretical knowledge and to obtain a required minimum of the trade experience not being subjected to a material damage.

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